The Web of Entertainment

by Evalueserve - Knowledge Partner of the Summit for the Future, May 3-5, 2006

By redefining the way people receive and distribute information, the Internet has provided a new dimension for people to express themselves freely. This has been further facilitated by tools such as Blogs and Podcasts, which enable people to share their opinions, ideas, etc., without bothering about how to reach the end audience. The Internet has acted as a catalyst for the development of new means of entertainment, such as mobile phones, IP TV, online games, iPod, etc. Today, it has become an invisible web woven around our lives on which we depend for all our requirements, whether it be entertainment, information or communication.

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Summary
The growing stress levels have increased the significance of entertainment like never before. This has been further facilitated by tools such as Blogs and Podcasts, which enable people to share their opinions, ideas, etc., in a fast and cost-effective manner. There was a time when media and entertainment were restricted to newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, television and cinema houses. However, the advent of the Internet completely changed the way people receive and react to information. It gave ordinary people the opportunity to share their ideas, experiences and opinions with others sitting across the globe. The growing popularity of the Internet created demand for fresh content. A part of this demand was met by the users themselves through tools such as blogs and podcasts. While blogs allow the author to voice his/her opinion on any topic without having to chase the conventional publishing media, podcasts allow users to publish and distribute audio content over the Internet. Both these mediums are becoming increasingly popular among the online audience and are expected to play a more crucial role in the future.

The Internet not only helped people express themselves more freely, but also led to innovations in technology. Today, it is being used as a medium to distribute video, audio, games and other types of entertainment content. The availability of new content over the Internet will provide a boost to the IP TV market in Europe, which, is currently in a nascent stage.

Competition and advancements in technology have also led to the introduction of new gadgets, such as advanced mobile phones, iPod, etc. These gadgets further provided an impetus to firms engaged in creating and distributing mobile content. Today, the mobile content market is not just limited to ring tones and wallpapers, but includes mobile TV, audio and video content, games, software, etc. The ubiquitous cellphone has now become a complete entertainment provider. The latest trend is airing TV programmes on 3G mobile phones.

With such exciting developments taking place, the future no wonder will have many surprises in store. For instance, blogs will complement topics published in the traditional media and will provide users with a different perspective based on the views of the online audience. They are also expected to be used by marketers to gauge consumer behaviour. The print media will become more aggressive and try to retain users by making its presence felt more strongly by offering innovative services. All these developments are likely to benefit the consumer making him ‘the king’!

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